Live Chat Dec. 3: DesignCon 2014

DesignCon 2014 is coming in January. Let's chat all things DesignCon on December 3, 2013.

DesignCon 2014 will arrive 63 days from today, on January 28. One week from today -- December 3 -- we'll hold a live online chat to discuss everything DesignCon. Barry Sullivan will join Janine Love and me at 10:00 a.m. PST (1:00 p.m. EST) to talk about the technical program, the exhibition, and the general state of high-speed digital signals.

DesignCon, held in Santa Clara, Calif., brings together engineers who model, design, construct, and test ICs, circuits, and systems that contain the world's highest speed serial links. At DesignCon, 5 Gbit/s speeds are considered "pedestrian" and almost everyone is working on 28 Gbit/s and higher speeds. At DesignCon 2013, one technical session delved into simulated data rates of 41 Gbit/s and 56 Gbit/s.

Which technical tracks do you attend at DesignCon? For me, it's Track 13: Apply Test and Measurement Methodology, but not exclusively. For one thing, I would never miss (and neither should you) the annual opening panel session on January 28 at 4:45 p.m., this time called Battle on the Chip -- Embed vs De-Embed? where the usual cast of characters -- Eric Kvamme, Greg LeCheminant, Mike Li, Chris Loberg, Martin Miller, Ransom Stephens, and Pavel Zivny -- will show what test and measurement vendors can do to make measurements possible at 28 Gbits/s. I'm sure they'll be arguing all the way, but that's the whole point of the session. Here's your chance to question and provoke the panelists about your measurement problems. But, why wait for DesignCon to tell us your technical issues when you can chat about them on December 3?

Oh yes, there's also an exhibition where you can see the latest products for high-speed digital design. Here's a sample from DesignCon 2013.

All kinds of high-speed equipment is on display at DesignCon. This one was in the TE Connectivity booth at DesignCon 2013. Have you ever noticed how the eye diagrams are always open in equipment demonstrations?

Remember, of course, to pay homage to the Techno Festivus Pole in the lobby of the Santa Clara Convention Center. Even better, if you have a copy of The Sensory Deception by DesignConer Ransom Stephens, bring it for an autograph.

Engineers pay homage to the Techno-Festivus Pole every year at DesignCon.

Let's chat on December 3 here and in person come January. On chat day, DesignCon 2014 will be 56 days away.